The revised Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) between Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been signed by Festus Keyamo, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development.

The agreement was inked in a high-level meeting with UAE Economy Minister H.E. Abdulla Bin Touq Al Marri during the ICAO Global Implementation Support Symposium (GISS) 2025.

This was announced in a statement on Tuesday by Tunde Moshood, the Minister’s Special Adviser on Media and Communications.

Olubunmi Kuku, Managing Director, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mrs. Olayinka T. Babaoye-Iriobe, Director, Air Transport Regulations, NCAA, Capt. Abdullahi Mahmood, Director of Operations, FAAN, Mr. Ahmed Tijani, Director, Air Transport Management, Ministry, and Capt. Chris Ona Najomo, Director General, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) were with Keyamo, according to Moshood.

Keyamo was accompanied by Capt. Chris Ona Najomo, Director General, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Mrs. Olubunmi Kuku, Managing Director, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Capt. Abdullahi Mahmood, Director of Operations, FAAN, Mrs. Olayinka T. Babaoye-Iriobe, Director, Air Transport Regulations, NCAA, and Mr. Ahmed Tijani, Director, Air Transport Management, Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, according to Moshood.

A statement claims that the ICAO GISS 2025, which was held at the renowned Emirates Palace, Mandarin Oriental, Abu Dhabi, and hosted by H.E. Saif Mohammed Al Suwaidi, Director General of the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), brought together more than 35 ministers, 191 countries, 1,500 aviation professionals, and 70 exhibitors.

By guaranteeing reciprocal rights for both nations and promoting closer aviation cooperation, the signing of the revised BASA expands on the discussions from the previous year. According to a portion of the statement, the Minister underlined the significance of improving connectivity between Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates, with an emphasis on growing codeshare agreements and interlining opportunities for Nigerian airlines.

According to Moshood, the Minister also pushed for a revision of the UAE’s visa policies for Nigerians, emphasizing that removing the current limits would boost travel on approved routes and boost the economy of both countries.

In order to strengthen their bilateral ties, he continued, the two nations decided to sign a Technical Cooperation Agreement that would concentrate on capacity building and technical assistance in important aviation domains, such as safety and regulatory, environment, airport facilitation, and security.